Korea to implement special quarantine measures to curb spread of bird flu

The government will implement a set of special quarantine measures this month to prevent the further spread of avian influenza, officials said Monday. The Central Disaster Management Headquarters said 32 cases of highly contagious AI have been confirmed at poultry farms and 22 cases among wild birds since the cold season started. The latest case was confirmed at a farm in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on Monday. Provincial authorities have dispatched an initial response team to the farm to restr

Jan. 5, 2026

KMA blasts public funding of traditional pregnancy treatments

A dispute between doctors trained in conventional scientific medicine and practitioners of traditional Korean medicine is intensifying, as local governments expand the provision of pregnancy assistance programs based on traditional treatments. The Korean Medical Association, which represents doctors working in conventional medicine, said Saturday that local governments should halt financial support for pregnancy assistance programs run by traditional Korean practitioners, arguing that the treatm

Jan. 4, 2026

S. Korean team develops AI model for 'customized' cancer vaccine

A joint research team of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and domestic biotechnology firm Neogenlogic has developed a new artificial intelligence model that can help produce a whole new type of "personalized" cancer vaccine, the joint team said Friday. The new AI platform helps identify neoantigens unique to each cancer patient that can train the patient's immune system, and thus prevent recurrence of the illness. "Neoantigens -- mutation-derived protein fragments unique to

Jan. 2, 2026

Yearlong exercise halves depression risk: study

Maintaining regular physical activity for more than a year can cut the risk of depressive symptoms by as much as 57 percent, with ball and racket sports delivering the strongest benefits, according to a report released Wednesday by the Korea National Institute of Health. The research arm of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency analyzed data from 19,112 Korean adults aged 40 to 82, comparing types of physical activity, weekly duration and the length of participants' routines to assess

Jan. 1, 2026

Lee's remarks open up debate about coverage — in more ways than one

President Lee Jae Myung’s suggestion that South Korea expand public health insurance coverage for hair loss treatment has sparked a backlash, with critics questioning whether the insurance service's strained funds should be used for conditions that are not life-threatening. The controversy emerged during a livestreamed policy briefing Tuesday, when Lee instructed the Ministry of Health and Welfare to review extending insurance coverage beyond the narrow range of medically induced hair loss curre

Dec. 18, 2025

Pharmacists flag uncontrolled sales at 'outlet pharmacies'

The Korean Pharmaceutical Association said on Tuesday that so-called "outlet pharmacies" selling over-the-counter drugs pose a serious public safety risk, warning that medicines containing precursors for illegal drugs could be sold in large quantities without proper oversight by pharmacists. The association said it had confirmed that a medicine containing pseudoephedrine was displayed in bulk at an outlet pharmacy, allowing customers to purchase it freely without pharmacist supervision. Pseudoep

Dec. 16, 2025

Gov't’s plan to standardize prices for manual therapy face doctors' resistance

The Korean government’s drive to standardize pricing for manual therapy is drawing backlash from medical circles, as the previously clinic-set fees have been a main source of income for orthopedic clinics. The Ministry of Health and Welfare recently designated manual therapy as one of the medical practices partially covered by Korea’s National Health Insurance system. Implementation is expected in the first half of 2026. Under the new program, public insurance will cover 5 percent of the total c

Dec. 15, 2025

Off-book injections expose gray zone in celebrity medical care

A woman dubbed the “injection aunt,” a figure alleged to have provided off-the-books intravenous drips and prescription drugs to entertainers, has become the focus of a widening investigation into illegal treatments in Korea’s entertainment industry. The nickname, coined online and in media reports, refers to claims that the woman was repeatedly summoned by celebrities for injections at homes and filming sites, despite lacking clear proof that she is qualified to do so. As allegations spread, do

Dec. 12, 2025

[KMI Health Big Data Series] Hyperuricemia rising among young men, gout risk widens

The prevalence of hyperuricemia, the primary cause of gout, has risen sharply in South Korea over the past four years, with the steepest increases seen among younger men, according to a new analysis released Thursday by the Korea Medical Institute. The findings, the first in KMI’s newly launched “Health Big Data Series,” are based on 2 million medical check-up records from adults aged 19 and older who visited the institute’s eight centers nationwide between 2021 and 2024. Hyperuricemia occurs wh

Nov. 27, 2025

Korea's antibiotic crisis: Why it's a problem and how we can prevent it

South Korea’s health care system is praised for its speed and accessibility, but the resulting ease at which patients receive antibiotics is leading to a rise in antibiotic-resistant “superbugs." According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, South Korea recorded 31.8 defined daily doses, or DID, of antibiotics per 1,000 people in 2023, placing it second among the 34 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, behind Turkey. This is its highest r

Nov. 19, 2025

S. Korea reports another highly pathogenic bird flu case

South Korea reported a highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) case at a chicken farm in the country's northwest, authorities said Monday. The case was discovered at the farm in Hwaseong, just south of Seoul, prompting authorities to take quarantine measures, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The case marks the third AI case at a poultry farm this year. The ministry said it will launch a special quarantine check on poultry farms across the country to prevent the ou

Nov. 10, 2025

Half of nurses in Korea report abuse, prompting urgent mental health response

In South Korean hospitals, nurses are being cursed at during surgeries, ordered to run doctors’ personal errands and physically assaulted by patients’ families. And more than half say no one does anything to stop it. A new national survey by the Korean Nurses Association has revealed that 1 in 2 nurses (50.8 percent) experienced human rights violations in their workplace in the past year. The most common abuses were verbal attacks (81 percent) and abuse of authority or workplace bullying (69.3 p

Oct. 22, 2025

Korea's antibiotic use among highest in OECD

South Korea’s use of antibiotics has surged to one of the highest levels among OECD countries, raising alarm over the growing threat of drug-resistant "superbugs" and prompting urgent calls for stronger management measures. According to recent data compiled by the OECD, South Korea recorded 31.8 daily doses per 1,000 people in 2023, the second highest among the organization's members. Use has sharply increased from 25.7 doses in 2022, when Korea already ranked fourth, well above the OECD average

Oct. 13, 2025

What you need to know to avoid falling ill this Chuseok

As millions of South Koreans prepare to reunite with loved ones for Chuseok, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is urging the public to take precautions against the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, foodborne illnesses and viruses contracted abroad. Although COVID-19 hospitalization numbers have slightly declined recently, reporting 428 cases during the third week of September, they remain higher than the same period last year, which stood at 213. As older adults an

Oct. 5, 2025

KMI launches integrated research support system

The Korea Medical Institute said it has become the first medical check-up institution in the country to launch its own Integrated Research Support System, aimed at streamlining research from project proposals to performance tracking. The KMI Research Information System, or KRIS, combines multiple stages of the research process, including proposal submission, review and approval, administrative support and the management of results. Officials said the system is designed to improve efficiency and

Sept. 21, 2025